Wrecking apparatus.



J. J. GOUSINS. WBEUKING APPARATUS.

urmouxou mam 1111.12. 1909.

988,977, 1 Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

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J. J. GOUSINS.

WBEOKING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION rum) .mmz. 1909.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

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J. J. GOUSINS.

WRBCKING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED nut. 12. 1900.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH J. COUSINS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WRECKING APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn J. COUSINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of New York, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WreckingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wrecking apparatus for theraising of sunken vessels and my objects are the production of apparatusthat can be fully controlled as to lifting power, that can be laidalongside of beached vessels, that is selfcontained in the sense ofcontaining its own motive and pumping powers, that can be operatedwithout the aid of divers and that can lift vessels under which chainscannot be passed.

I attain my objects in the manner shown in the accompanying drawings inwhich Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of my wrecking apparatus ortug; Fig. 2 a sectional plan view on the line w-w of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 asectional plan view on the line y-y of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 a plan view of theupper deck; Fig. 5 a sectional view of two tugs working on a vessel sunkin deep water; Fig. 6 a view of two tugs working with chains under asunken vessel; Fig. 7 a view of two tugs working on a listed, sunkenvessel under which chains cannot be passed; and Fig. 8 a side view of mywrecking apparatus.

The apparatus comprises a double hulled tug about 153 feet long, 10 feetwide and 10 feet deep, of about 429 tons burden and a nominal draft of 3feet. These dimensions give a maximum lifting power of about 5,292 tons.

An upper deck 1 carries the usual deck equipment of winches, capstans,bitts, cleats, superstructures, etc. A watertight deck 2 above the flatflooring prevents water entering the hull if a hole is stove in theouter hull and is carried up the sides forming a full double hull. Amain deck 3, together with the bulkheads and the deck 3 divide the tuginto a series of watertight compartments 4, 5, etc., used to containwater ballast.

A working shaft or passage 6 provides a place for workmen to go down andattach chains to the sunken vessel. These shafts or passages areduplicated along the side of the tug. A telescope extension 7 of ironand canvas provided at the outer end with means for attaching it to thesides of a sunken ves- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 12, 1909.

Patented Apr. 11 1911.

Serial No. 471,869.

sel is located at the under water end of each passage 6 and enables themen to workwithout diving suits. The outer end of the tele scope may beattached by means of bolts in holes tapped into the sunken hull, packingor a gasket being placed between the hull and te escope end to make atight joint.

A chain 8 leads through chain tube 9 to a winch on deck and the rods 10and 11 in the shaft (5 and red tube 12 are attached to the chains andserve to carry part of the lifting strain and distribute it over thewrecking apparatus. One set of stay rods and tube is provided for eachshaft (5. One end of the chain 8 is attached to the sunken vessel andthe other to a winch 13 on deck. The chains are pulled taut by thewinches and the stay rods are then shackled to the chains. Upon pumpingout the compartments to utilize the buoyancy of the vessel to lift thewreck the rods take the strain off the chains and distribute it over theframe of the vessel, the lifting being effected by the buoyancy of thevessel and not by pulling in the chains which serve merely to fasten thevessel to the wreck.

A pump well 14 connects by a system of piping 14 with all thecompartments and an engine compartment 15 contains the necessaryengines, boilers, etc., to operate the apparatus and propel the tug.This compartment being watertight is not flooded when the tug is sunk bywater ballast. A pipe 16 with valves affords means for filling oremptying the passages 6 and tubes 9 and 12. Each compartment has its ownflood gate or sea cock 17, 17, etc., adapted to be opened to the waterof flotation for filling and its appropriate pipe for emptying leadingto the pump well 14.

On deck the usual cabins, pilot house, etc., form a superstructiu'e.

In use two or more of these tugs are fastened together side by side andtowed to a wreck. If the wreck lies in more than 40 feet of water thetugs are placed over it as shown in Fig. 5 with fenders between andfilled with water ballast until they are awash. Chains are made fast tothe sunken vessel, shackled to the tug chains 8, 8, etc., and all set upto an even strain by the winches when, on pumping out the compartments,the wreck is lifted and can be carried inshore and grounded, the slackin the chains taken up and the operation repeated until the wreck can becarried beder which chains cannot be passed and, upon using thetelescopes, holes can be broken in the wreck and chains attached withoutthe aid of divers when on pumping out the tugs the vessel can be raised.It may be necessary to use compressed air in the tubes and shafts tokeepwater out while the men are working therein.

By compartmenting the tug absolute control is exercised over its sinkingand lifting. It can be pumped out a compartment at a time if necessaryand the bow or stern sunk .or raised as may be necessary, or it may besunk or raised with a list corresponding to that of the wreck. It isthis feature of absolute control that diiferentiates my wreckingapparatus from others. It may rest on the bottom alongside the wreck andis then as immovable as the wreck itself and work is not affected by thetides and the telescopes will not pull loose. As the tug can be pumpedout and will then draw but three feet of water it can be laid alongsidea wreck that is practically beached.

In beach work it may be necessary to pump water into the uppercompartments to working shafts, 6, etc, with the manholes at the deckend by means of which compressed air may be used to keep water out, theworking opening under water, the telescope extension from said opening,the diagonal chain tubes 9, the stay rods 11 and 12 distributing thestrain over the frame instead of concentrating it on the winches.

I am aware that compartmented water ballast has been used to trimordinary vessels but so far as I am aware this principle has never beenapplied to a wrecking vessel or tug for the purpose of controlling itssinking and lifting powers, nor has an entire vessel been compartmentedfor this purpose.

I claim 1. Wrecking apparatus comprising a decked, submersible vesselprovided with chain tubes extending diagonally from a point below thewater line on one side to the upper deck on the opposite side, rod tubesintersecting the chain tubes at or near their lower ends and rods insaid rod tubes for ends, rods in said tubes, and means for injecting andejecting water ballast to and from each of said compartments.

3. Wrecking apparatus comprising a decked vessel provided with a workingpassage extending downward from the deck, an opening in the side of thevessel below the water line in the passage and a telescoping deviceextending outwardly from said opening adapted to engage and be securedto the side of a vessel for the purpose set forth.

4. Wrecking apparatus comprising a decked vessel provided with waterballast compartments and with a chain tub-e extending from a point belowthe water line on one side to the deck on the other, a working passageextending downward from the deck to the lower end of the chain tube; arod tube extending from the bottom of the chain tube to the oppositeside of the vessel; a chain in the chain tube adapted to have one endsecured to a wreck and the other to' means on deck for taking up slacktherein, rods in the rod tube and working passage engaging with thelower end of the chain whereby the strains on the chain are dis tributedover the vessel.

5. Wrecking apparatus comprising a submersible, decked vessel containinga plurality of water ballast compartments; a working passage extendingdownward from the deck means for admitting to and ejecting from each ofsaid compartments and working passage, an opening at the lower end ofsaid passage and means for joining said opening to a wrecked vessel forthe purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH J. OOUSINS.

Witnesses:

Rona. B. KILLGORE, CONRAD DIEHL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

comprising a

